Sugar Bytes Obscurium

smallstonefan
I watched the video and didn't hear one single interesting sound come out of the thing. I LOVE stuff like this (Tantra is AWESOME), but I don't get this.
 
Perhaps they just need a better demo...

This is something that I think needs to be demo'd, IMO.
I love Sugar Bytes. Things like Effectrix are really valuable in terms of HOW they allow you to create a glitch/stuttered/effected sound. If you just compare how one beat SOUNDS compared with something like iZotope Stutter or NI's the finger, etc - there's nothing special to say you need one over another. Effectrix just makes it easier/and a more creative process. What's important is what the tool allows you to do. Cyclop is another great example of a totally unique (and fun) synth that is intended to be a creative way to make synth bass lines, etc. Nothing about the sound that you can't get another myriad of ways. Usually with a helluva lot more difficulty though. That's what I am expecting from Obscurium.
Sugar Bytes remind me a lot of Sonic Charge (the Microtonic guys) - great tools, very innovative. Reasonable prices.

Cyclop (as an example) is wicked fun. (Built in video game, robots etc. LOL. The Sugar Bytes guys must have access to serious meds. It can easily be dismissed as a "dubstep" gizmo because so much of the basis for it is the "wobble" knob. Instant Skrillex. But the modulation possibilities are insane. And so even though it's a monophonic-only, bass-mostly synth, it finds its way into a lot of stuff (none of it dubstep) just because I like using it so much. Here's an objective review that came out shortly after its release (a couple of years now). https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sdVemQJI3sc
Effectrix as an effect is the same for being versatile, and allowing a creative application of effects under midi control. I also own Thesys, Artillery and Turnado, none of which get as much mileage here as the others do but they all have their place.
I haven't yet tried Obscurium, but plan to definitely.

I never read a manual in my life : ) (full disclosure - i don't ask for directions and get lost a lot too).
There's a ton of presets in Cyclop but they're not all useful (or useable, imo). Some are clearly sound effects and definitely not musical. But it's easy to start from something and tweak. The video i linked to above was actually very useful to me in helping me get how the various modulation parameters all meld together.  i don't watch a lot of how to videos either but that was very helpful.
Mesh - one thing i should have mentioned right off the top is - if you want something that's been around for awhile, wait for a sale. I bought Thesys, Artlliery and Turnado as Guitar Center no brainers for like $29 each or something. I paid full price for Effectrix and Cyclop, but would guess they also go on sale from time to time.